Balance
by FreedomOfThinking
Summary: AU: Dragons have ruled for thousands of years. Then humanity emerged, and began to settle in dragon lands. After 300 years of conflict, a member of the 12 Dragon riders, a loyal order of beings, takes interest in a village in his domain. More importantly he takes interest in the blond daughter of the man who murdered his family. Warrior Hiccup, modern tech, old tech. Long start.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everyone, its freedom here. I've been sitting on multiple HTTYD stories, and I finally got around to uploading the first part of this one. I got a lot more stories but I don't feel they are good enough to be posted yet. So for now, enjoy my first chapter of "Balance"**

Light drew across my eyes, waking me from my slumber. Grumbling slightly I sat up, watching the room around me, my vision slightly blurry.

Looking to my left, I noticed Toothless was asleep. The big black dragon wouldn't know what hit him.

A small grumble escaped him, as I put my cold hands against his back. He didn't wake though. I shoved now, pushing him off the bed, smiling at the startled roar he produced, falling down onto the floorboards.

"Good morning bud" I smiled, watching as two green eyes, looking equally tired and grumpy looked back at me.

"Oh, did you fall?" I smiled evilly as he began grumbling.

All joy left my being as I my memory regaled me of yesterday's events.

I cursed, loudly, and a lot. So much that when I turned back to my resident reptile, he was lying on the floor, eyeing me with a raised brow, and both paws over his ears.

"Sorry" I sighed, getting out of the bed, stretching. Toothless was doing something similar. Well, as similar as each other's morning routines.

After my stretch, I made my way to my closet, retrieving my outfit. The rest of it was downstairs, as well as my equipment for today.

Stepping into the next room, after my shirt was on, I saw toothless pushing open the windows with his nose, letting in the forest smell as well as more light.

His tail was wrapped around a larger fork, where he was whisking eggs.

"Enough for two?" I asked, and got a grumbled nod from Toothless.

"Love you to bud" I smiled, taking a seat at the table, noticing in the corner of my eye a small burst of flame that instantly cooked the eggs.

"Today is going to be a long day bud" I wolfed down the eggs, and grabbed some freshly made bread, making my way to the stairs.

Toothless looked at me, sadly, but smiled. These days were hard on the both of us.

Once I reached the bottom floor, I reached for a switch on my left. Flicking it open, I could see the great slope of our mountainside home, all the way down into the forest that ringed the ground. The wind blew like a whip, snapping at the air beneath the 200-meter drop. I heard a clanking noise, and saw a black shape drop beneath me. Toothless was already soaring in the air, and I would be joining him after I got my helmet on.

My tightly secured, metal and leather mixed identity gave me a good view as I dropped through the opened wooden hatch.

The cold air caught me, letting me slip through its soft palms. A black blur, and my best friend had me. On his back, the two of us were kings of the world.

"The horizon's our limit, and we have nothing to hold us back" I mumbled softly, as Toothless opened up his wings, giving us a straight decent to the forest below us.

It was times like this, that my human side was always more prominent. The feeling of freedom and the exhilaration of flying was never present in a dragon, because they could fly all the time. This was when I tuned out the other half of my instincts, the ones that had haunted me since my creation.

My number one friend, and only friend for that matter, noticed my silence, and a well-placed smack from his ear got my attention.

"Sorry bud" I rubbed his head, trying to calm him down. I didn't need him worrying about me.

I already worry about the two of us enough.

My name is Hiccup. Some know me by my moniker, The Black Knight, but to be 100% honest with you, I don't have the slightest clue about who I am. More importantly, what I am.

* * *

><p>Four Nightmares landed in the main square of Berk. Like everyone else I despised the dragon occupation, but also like everyone else, I kept my mouth shut when it came to this particular dislike.<p>

No, not just a dislike. My loathing, my complete utter hatred of the despot rule over the lands.

Gronckles began to land inside the square made by the four Nightmares, all of which were armored to protect the mining dragons from any attacks from the villagers.

"God damn dragons" a villager behind me muttered.

I ignored him, as did all the others around him, watching the monthly gathering of minerals and ores from Berk's mines.

We all agreed with him however. They were a plague, some disease that we wanted gone, but we couldn't do anything about it. Simply because they were more powerful then us.

That, and those damn riders.

I have never seen a rider before, in person. Their symbol, the mark of one of the 12, is displayed on signs for each town; a warning of whose rule the location is under.

Most riders are cruel and vicious monsters, they take part in public executions, as well as personally ending riots and dragon attacks. Their individual mask's each spell the doom of anyone to gaze upon them.

The riders are humanoid from what we know, but apart from that, they don't seem to be human.

Each of the 12 also has a different ranking of importance. My grandfather said he witnessed a fight between Berk's Rider, the primary rider, and the number one, against the number 7. It had been a battle of epic proportion. My grandfather would tell these great tales of the magic and weaponry used for the great fight.

However no one believed him. I mean, if the number one were still the same today, that would make him…well, it, an ageless ghost. Or maybe, like popular belief, it was just living armor, that held a personality of the creator.

"FUCK YOU DRAGON SCUM!" a deafening roar came from my left. Turning I watched as ignited bags flew through the air.

'The rebels' I realized, as an explosion suddenly knocked the nearest nightmare's back.

People screamed and ran, moving away as more people showed up, different weapons in each hand.

"TAKE BACK WHATS OURS!" the same voice spoke up over the calling, and lances of light, weapons, and fire streaked across the village square.

The Nightmares all responded with equal force, if not excess.

"MOVE ASTRID" a voice shouted from my right, and an arm dragged me into a small bar behind me.

My friend Fishlegs was looking over me, snapping his fingers in my face.

"Hey, earth to 'strid" he said, and I grumbled an apology before standing back up.

Looking out the door, I realized it was hell, people on fire, dragons taking hits. Scorched earth.

It was like this every month. Well not exactly like this. 'This' had to be the biggest attack that the rebel forces had committed against the dragon's, and the nightmare guard was not fairing well against the rebellion.

"Will it ever end?" Fishlegs asked, carefully watching the fighting, ready to move incase something blasted through the window, wall or roof of the bar.

I was surprised when a new noise ripped through the air. It was undeniably a dragon roar, but one that I've never heard of before.

The figure appeared in the giant black smoke cloud of the burning on the opposite side of the village square.

A sleek black dragon with green eyes, floating safely in the wind, and an unquestionably humanoid figure standing on its back. The figure was covered in pitch-black armor.

"Rider" I whispered.

* * *

><p>"OH SHIT!" a man shouted, as he finally looked upwards and to his left, noticing me.<p>

'Why do they have to fight' I mentally complained. The people beneath Toothless were frozen, as well as the dragons, all watching me for my decision.

One Nightmare was dead, and so far I could only spot 5 human casualties. 'A nightmare is worth 20' I mentally sighed, reaching behind my back and drawing my two weapons out.

One glowed red in my right hand, and Two was glowing black in the other. I had cycled them yesterday, preparing for this day, hoping against all odds that the humans wouldn't attack today.

But now that they had, there attack was over.

"My turn" the vocal unit in the armor garbled my speech, masking my voice; no one would be able to trace it, even if they had the technology for voice tracing.

* * *

><p>"My turn" the rider's metallic voice boomed out. Many people stepped back, some running away, as the rider drew out two strange weapons.<p>

Other riders had been seen before, and there weapons were known. People feared a giant sword, or a large sharp axe. But what people feared the most was some sort of weapon that glowed. Just like the one the rider had, did. The glowing was always a symbol that the weapon was infested with magic, or crafted with unholy energies.

The dragon dropped closer to the ground, the rider disembarking and his footfalls being lost in the commotion around him.

"Magic wielding bastard!" a man growled, but made no move to attack.

'Someone has some sort of brain' I snorted in my mind. Most just charge in, and die quickly.

"20" the metallic voice echoed.

A black discharge and the man no longer existed.

Ash blew away in the breeze, the only remnants of the mans body.

"Now 19" the voice grumbled, as the weapon was pointed at another person.

Another pitch-black discharge of the rider's weapon, and another pile of ash littered the ground.

"18"

"RUN!" someone shouted, as the rider stalked forward, only the black weapon raised, the bolts of night firing through the crowd, striking resistance members and reducing them to nothing.

A friend of my Uncle, as I remembered him, tried throwing a light spear at the walking specter of death, but I only blanched when the spear turned to dust, as it reached a certain distance.

A red discharge, from the other weapon, and Haedrig, my uncle's friend, was suddenly turned to stone.

"Your crime will be punished later" the rider announced, holstering the red glowing weapon, and with perfect form, whipping out the other one, pointing it into a group of the retreating rebels.

More black shots pierced the scream filled air, silencing some of the numerous voices.

'This is the power of a rider' Astrid summarised, watching as black bolts tore through more people.

* * *

><p>"1" I muttered, firing a black bolt into the back of a retreating figure.<p>

Sparing a glance to the corpse of the nightmare behind me, I sighed.

Walking up to the corpse, I holstered the pistols, watching the unmoving body of the large dragon. I knew this one, I had been to its nest, met its hatchlings.

"May you find peace in the after life" reaching forward I closed its still open eyes, trying my best not to look at the large spear sticking out of the space in its chest armor.

Toothless landed next to me, watching a building on the opposite side of the field. Someone was watching us.

My gaze turned to the window of the bar, and I could barley make out blond hair before it dropped beneath the windowsill.

A nose pushed up against my side, and big green eyes captured my gaze.

"What?" I asked, placing my hand on his head, rubbing the scales gently.

The green eyes darted to the bar, and then back to me.

"Really?" I deadpanned, as I stopped rubbing his head, and looked to the bar.

A nod.

"Fine, but only two, okay?" I warned, pointing a threatening finger at him.

Another nod, but it was accompanied by some grumbling from my lizard compatriot.

"Any sass and we're going home now" I spoke, turning and walking to the bar, the sounds of my boots, and Toothless's paws echoing across the village square. The crackling of the multiple fires was barely distinguishable as we made our jolly way over to the tavern, looking for some good drinks.

* * *

><p>Fishlegs was talking, but I wasn't really listening, only nodding when it sounded appropriate.<p>

Those green eyes were still in my mind, watching me. I'm not talking about the dragon though. When the rider was first spotted, I had only seen the infinite black gaze, but under the harsh and flickering glow of the flames, his emerald gaze rooted my mind.

That's when the door to the bar opened.

I was sitting right next to it, after I had ducked down to break my look with the rider's dragon, and as the door swung open to cut off my view of Fishlegs, a large metal boot stepped in.

'Oh god's' I thought, slowly looking up, to see that same green gaze looking back down at me.

As soon as our gaze met, it was separated as the rider was sent flying into the room, letting out a brief shout of surprise as he roughly landed against the bar seats.

Now the dragon was standing in the door, its happy expression preceding it as it almost waltzed into the room.

"Did you really have to shove me?" the garbled metallic voice spoke.

The dragon's face split into a cheeky grin.

Fishlegs appeared from behind the open door, his face pale white.

"W-w-what, do you w-want?" he asked, standing carefully, ready to run at a moments notice.

The black helmet swept over to him, the green forest gaze fixed on him.

"Four glasses of your best mead" the garbled metal voice spoke.

Fishlegs was about to say something, then froze, completely caught off-guard by that question.

"You came here for a drink?" I asked, looking at him.

"Actually" the metal voice responded, his gaze snapping to me, "he did"

A metal-gloved finger pointed at the dragon next to its owner, and said dragons tail immediately began to wag.

"I just wanted to see what you had," the voice continued, as the rider turned and sat on one of the bar stools.

Fishlegs was still frozen in place, as both dragon and rider sat at the stools. The dragon barely fitting, but this was a bar designed for even the biggest of Vikings.

I could only watch, as the two responsible for multiple murders, death of people I knew, some had been family friends as well, casually sit on a bar stool in front of me, acting like nothing was wrong in the world.

One could say I had a very Viking reaction as Fishlegs made his way behind the bar counter.

* * *

><p>The small dagger shattered against my armor, which was followed by a soft gasp of its owner. The blond had some fight in her.<p>

I mused over how many times someone had tried that, only to be shocked by superior crafting.

The boy who had just made it behind the counter was ashen faced, having stepped away, most likely afraid I was going to have a violent reaction.

"I would suggest the drinks my friend" I spoke calmly to the boy, whose frightened eyes moved away from the shocked blond behind me, and to my eyes.

"My friend here can get grumpy if he has to wait too long"

Toothless grumbled, to add more weight to my statement.

Immediately the boy behind the counter began to move, fetching four glasses, and looking for what was most likely the best mead tanker.

Turning in my chair, I could see the blond girl, watching me, her eyes wide in shock and confusion.

"My armor is weakest at the insignia on my chest" I moved my arms up, creating a 'T', "strike there, and you will kill me".

* * *

><p>It shattered. As if a hammer had struck my dagger like it was glass, my knife had broken. The gift from my father, on my 18th birthday, was lying in 10 or so pieces on the floor.<p>

"I would suggest the drinks my friend" the rider spoke to Fishlegs, ignoring the fact I had just tried to kill him, "my friend here can get grumpy if he has to wait too long".

The dragon grumbled and Fishlegs moved like lightning. I wound have found it somewhat funny, if I hadn't just had my most prized blade destroyed.

The rider was turning in his seat, his attention shifting to me.

'Oh gods I'm going to die' I thought, noticing his arms moving from his sides. He was going to draw out that black weapon, and I would be just another pile of ash on the ground.

"My armor is weakest at the insignia on my chest" I looked at his green gaze.

"Strike there and you will kill me" his arms were spread out, giving me a clear view of the curled black and white dragon on his chest piece.

I didn't know what to say.

After a few moments of tense silence, I found something to say, and the courage to deliver.

"Why" I whispered carefully, our gaze never breaking.

"You obviously had friends in the group that perished today" he stated factually, with a hint of something else, but something I couldn't discern from the garbled voice, "I have done what I was required to do, and I can rest easy knowing my task is done"

"You were required to kill those people?" I asked in horror, finding a grip on my mind, the executioner and murder in front of me fueling my anger that had tempted me to take his life.

"As soon as young Cloud Blaze was killed, yes" his words confused me.

"Cloud Blaze?" I asked.

He paused, head tiling to the side, before he realized something.

"Oh, my apologies, by Cloud Blaze I would mean the Nightmare, as you people call them. When he was killed I was required to act"

Looking out the window behind me, I searched the square, and spotted the large still figure of the hulking monstrosity.

"You killed all those people" I started, my fist clenching in rage, "because of some dragon!" I shouted the last part, not bothering to turn around.

A cold gauntlet grabbed me by the scruff of my shirt, and I found myself lifted off the floor, face to face with the armored visage of the rider.

"Just some dragon?" his voice was no longer garbled, the tempered tone that erupted could have started a fire for how angry it was.

"Cloud Blaze was a dear friend of mine. He had a mate, and five hatchlings that infact, only hatched last year. They will now grow up, not knowing who their father was, just because some humans want the land that dragons have ruled over for over a millennium."

I was on the floor after he released his grip on my clothing.

The armored gaze looked down on me, again.

"Condemn me. Hate me. Curse me. But understand that by calling them 'just dragons'" his voice drawled out, "then you are 'just humans'. We are all our own beings, and deserve to be honored and treated as equals, not as the slaves or servants of one another"

"You speak of equality, yet you side with them, and oppress us" I muttered out, glaring at him.

He paused, sitting back down on the bar chair, Fishlegs carefully avoiding him by putting as much space between him and the rider as possible.

A soft laugh echoed from the rider.

"I am not on the dragons side" the rider spoke, "and I am not on the human's side" he pushed his two glasses over to his dragon, allowing the beast to indulge itself in more delicious mead.

"I stand on my own side, and I serve as the balance between the two"

"Balance?" I growled, "You call balance cutting down villagers with black magic?"

"I call it a message. Bloodshed is the only thing you humans seem to understand. Words will never travel as far, or change as much as the death of a loved one, friend or family member will. My predecessors have tried speaking out, hoping to end the fighting before any got hurt."

He paused, his hand clenching and unclenching.

"When I was little, I took up their mantle of peace between the two races"

"And how did that go?" I asked sarcastically, standing up and stepping away from him.

"My family was murdered by a human hunting party. They had found our home in the forest. My grandfather held them off for as long as he could, but he fell to a sword in the end. My father was next, trying to keep them back, long enough for my mother to escape with me."

His head turned to the dragon next to him, who was looking down at the table, a liquid substance building in its eyes.

"Toothless was little at the time, and he couldn't carry my mother" the rider quietly spoke, his hand reaching out and comforting the crying dragon.

"He could carry only me" the rider finished.

The rider petted the dragon on the head, rubbing its nose affectionately.

"To this day I will find the man who killed my mother. The group was chanting his name after he stabbed my mother in the heart."

"If you meet the man, warn him that there is no place on the world that he can hide, where I will not find him" the duo stood, rider first, then dragon, as they made their way to the door.

"What was this man's name?" Fishlegs asked from behind the counter, watching the rider carefully.

"Markus Hofferson" the rider answered. My father.

"And he is no man. He is a walking corpse. He is dead. He just doesn't know it yet"


	2. Chapter 2

Slowly, villagers that had fled the short skirmish between the dragon-mining group and the rider, against the rebels or as they like to call themselves, the "Wingless", began to return to the main square.

The rider and his retreating form had disappeared into the distance. The rider was human, from what I could tell, but the way he referred to himself. It sounded like he was something else, something inhuman.

I calmly brushed those thoughts to the side of my mind, remembering his threat against my father. Glancing out of the bar, I saw the chief's congregation moving to assess the damages. Gobber, Stoick the Vast, Spitelout Jorgensen, and…

My father. Markus Hofferson. And if I didn't warn him, he'd be a dead man. 

* * *

><p>The large room was black, surrounded by a constant cloak of darkness. A rider and his dragon would enter from the glimmer of light from the roof, and they would wait within this natural spotlight. The king was in the darkness, waiting for reports or any important announcements.<p>

"**Did the humans suffer?**" the eerie and calm voice of the king echoed from everywhere, softly reverberating off the unseen walls of the large cave.

"Yes. They did. I used the weapon that you oversaw the creation of"

"**I did not think you were that violent, One, you struck me as the peaceful and calm type when you began your training" **his voice could be a voice in my head, for how present it seemed to be around me.

But his words cut deep, and I felt the jab in my pride.

"I was hoping HE would be there my King" I ground my teeth as I refused to say the name. Twice was enough in a lifetime. Hearing it was tolerable, but to have that vile name role off the tip of my tongue was offensive to my ears, much more so, then any vile or vulgar word.

"I wished to not be regarded as a being that results to violence as the only solution, but when my hand is forced I WILL act much like Seven, Nine and Twelve"

"**If only you acted sooner. Your violent nature could have prevented the death of Cloud Blaze. It seems when you lash out you have no target, just a raw contempt held against Markus Hofferson"**

I flinched. It seems even hearing it has an effect on me.

The king's deep baritone laugh echoed out briefly, like a harsh bark it brought me out of my mental musing.

"**Then perhaps you need something to…aim…this anger" **the new tone that had entered the king's voice was one that bordered on science and discovery. He had spoken in this fatherly way, one that wanted to inform and teach, with a passion, of a specific subject. Like an excited teacher he continued.

"**I bestow upon you a right that only one rider before you, and of your line, was ever allowed to hold"**

"My king, what honor would you speak of?" I knew most of many of the 12 great family's histories, so a tale of an acceptance or leeway granted by the king would have been a prominent note in any families history. Why had I not heard of this?

**"I shall allow you to choose another weapon from the rider armory"**

Silence.

Had the king really spoken? Had those words been formed in his mind, and then passed through the air to my ears.

"Pardon me my king, but are you really allowing me to gain entrance to THE armory again?"

**"Did I stutter?" **his voice sounded annoyed, it also seemed impatient.

**"Come now" **in front of me, the floor began to open, moving into a set of stairs descending into the darkness of the armory.

**"Lets find you something to, aim, with"**

With an uncomfortable grumble from toothless, the duo made their way down into the depths of the darkness. Into the belly of the beast.

* * *

><p>"You talked with the rider?" My father was taking this exceptionally well. Apart from nearly exploding from rage, due to his daughter being in the company of a killer, but other then that, he was pretty tame about it.<p>

"Yes, and he wants you dead" I stressed, but dad just rolled his eyes at me. We were sitting in the Hofferson home, specifically the living room. Dad had just sat down on a chair, nursing a mug of ale. After a day of assisting in the repairs he had finally made time for my urgent message and me. And now he was treating a definite death threat as a small joke.

"And pray tell, why, would this rider want me dead?" he mused, smiling as he drank, "it sounds like he was just trying to scare you, which in all rights Astrid, you would be perfectly fine to be, I mean, even I would have been-"

"He says you murdered his family, specifically his mother," I growled out, voice raised slightly, but a strong tone.

He went silent. Perfectly still, with his blue eyes trained on the floor.

After a minute of stillness I felt worried.

"Are you sure?" his voice held no emotion; it was as dull as my first training blade.

"Dad, if its-" I tried to ask but he cut me off this time.

"ARE YOU SURE?" he was much louder now, and now I understood he really needed an answer.

"Yes"

His eyes turned to ice upon my answer. They were so cold. Not even a good old hooligan town bonfire could melt those blue sheets of ice.

"Dad?" I moved closer, putting my hand on his shoulder, keeping my vision locked with those unfocused blue spheres of ice.

"Go to the Jorgensen home Astrid, get Spitelout, tell him…tell him that I was wrong"

I just nodded. He had more to say.

"Then I want you to go to the Haddock home, get Chief Stoick. And I want you to tell him that he was right. Tell them to meet me here, as soon as they can"

Without any more exchanges of words, I stood, then left through the main hall and then entry, out onto the streets, and then began a strong run to the Jorgensen home.

The Haddock home was further away, so I would go deliver my fathers message to Spitelout.

Maybe they would give me some answers as to what is going on.

* * *

><p>Toothless crooned sadly. Even he could sense the feeling coming from the very end of the passageway. We had passed knives, swords, axe's, hammers and spears and weapons that I could never know the name of, or even hope to understand their uses.<p>

But as we passed this dark passageway, it called from the darkness. Toothless didn't like it, he hated this feeling and everything it entailed. I equally despised it, wanting nothing more then to continue on, to find something suitable.

However, whatever awaited in the darkness, whatever weapon, whatever tool crafted by the king, using the magic and power he held, I knew it would serve my purposes.

"**Ah, I see you have heard its calling"** the king's voice echoed from the darkness above me. He was obviously watching. Briefly glancing up I could see the gigantic red eyes, staring down at me and my position in the maze like armory.

"What is it?" I asked, turning my gaze directly ahead again, ignoring the glinting swords in the brief light that was cast from the open staircase, refusing to acknowledge any other choices, other then the one that awaited me in the darkness at the end of this path.

"**When the dragons ruled as separate kingdoms, our species would often war against one another for land. We needed subordinates, servants that would help us wage these wars. We crafted weapons that these subordinates could use, and we even let them ride on our kind"**

"And thus the 12 riders were born?" I questioned, still straining my eyes against the darkness.

**"No, not yet" **the king's voice sounded surreal, and I had a slight hint of a notion that he was remembering the events that lead to the dragon rule.

"**I was one of the weaker dragon leaders, my subordinates would always fall to the hand's, blades and fire of the others. Well, that is of course till I created the weapon you seem to be drawn to"**

I was about to argue my interest in this hidden weapon, until I realized I was slowly walking forwards, and had been moving ever since the King had started speaking.

**"Its call is just as irresistible as its power. You can feel it can't you? The chill, the inexplicable feeling of dread, yet absolution"**

"You've done a good job of scaring me. Yet I still don't know what it is" I responded, laying on as much sarcasm as possible to mask my agreement with his statement.

An annoyed snort came from the king, signifying he saw through my sarcastic smokescreen.

"**Then why don't you find out?"**

I paused, thinking of all the possible things this weapon could be. If the king held it in high regard, then it would most definitely serve my purposes. In fact, it would be assured overkill.

With those thoughts in mind, I signaled toothless to stay, before venturing into the darkness.

After a few minutes of walking, the walls became a soft grey, the gentle light against my back, that was slowly disappearing as the sun dropped past the elegant mountain range that adorned the King's island. The funnel of light, that flowed into the chamber beneath the greeting and meeting cavern for the king was become more blocked by the second.

But a few more steps later, and I could see it. The weapon that the king had spoken about, had suggested of its immense power, and its traces to the time where there was never one true dragon king, just lords that squabbled and raged insignificant wars in comparison to the grand scheme of power.

It was beautiful.

Resting upon a stone pillar, a soft blood red pillow with golden frill's held it perfectly flat, the elegant handle of the weapon was woven in gold chain, each link smaller then half of my pinkies finger nail.

It was a bow. A magnificent golden, yet not obnoxiously shiny, but still attaining that level of regality. This was a weapon fit for a king.

The aura that myself and toothless had felt before was now more present then ever.

I couldn't tell what it was. Power, but of an evil origin. Fear, based on such a power. Or was it freedom, granted by the fear created from the power this weapon held.

Each end of the bow, where a silver glowing string was twined, was the metallic grey head of a dragon, mouth open, roaring in rage.

**"It is a beauty, is it not?"** the kings voice brought me out of the admiration of this ancient relic of days past.

"It does not belong in this time. I do not know this, I feel this" I reached a hand forward to touch it, but restrained myself from actually grasping the handle of the bow.

"It should be destroyed, along with whatever arrows this creation uses"

**"It does not take arrows, for it does not need any. And trust me on this, One, I have tried every possible way to destroy this creation. Something this powerful should not exist, alas here it is, and it was found in existence because of my mind and hands…" **the king paused, making a grumbling noise.

**"To be completely honest with you, I do not know weather to be proud of my accomplishment, or fearful of the implications that letting this weapon leave the armory could cause"**

"I do not think you would let me have the power that comes with wielding such a weapon. My king, something this powerful, if you are afraid of it, then it could even be a weapon that could be used to enslave a species" I had to voice my thoughts. If man kind knew of this weapon, and actually had a way to take it into their hands…

It would be war. A war that the likes of this world would have ever seen, or might even is able to experience.

**"But I know you would not abuse this power, you, One, are the only rider I would ever trust with this weapon, as you only want one thing. And this thing, is not power, nor is it fame, riches, money or reputation"**

I knew where this was going, and I knew what the king was trying to do.

Yet, I played along.

"And what exactly is it that I want, my king?"

I could hear the evil and violent grin that split the king's face, his gigantic dragon jaw twisted into a victorious smirk.

**"Markus. Hofferson."**

My hand found its way around the handle of the bow even before my brain agreed. It wasn't heavy at all, and its aura disappeared as soon as I made contact with it.

Abruptly turning around, I made my way back through the darkness, to where toothless was waiting.

**"Now, if you wish to test out this weapon, I have a task that needs to be completed quickly. Three has reported a severe uprising upon a costal town within his territory. This is the final one that I will tolerate" **

"Your orders my king?" I was already on Toothless's back, as we made our way back up the large staircase, which closed up behind us, as we now stood under the pale moonlight, flooding down the vent of light.

"**Destroy it. But leave survivors. The nearest island is Berk, and from their, your infamy will increase. This will allow you to draw Markus out"**

"You are truly generous my king" I thanked, before Toothless rocketed into the sky, leaving two open red eyes and a vicious white smirk lurking within the dark cavern.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Hey everyone freedom here. Sorry for the short chapter, but the one after this is a bit of background information, specifically what happened on the night where One's family (Hiccup's family) was murdered. But of course, this will be told from the POV of the hofferson, jorgensen and Haddock families. Hope you enjoyed this short chapter, and hope to catch you next time. :)<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

Spitelout was following me home to the Hofferson household. As soon as I had told him the message he had sent Snoutlout, who was trying to hit on me at the time, to go get Stoick. I had told him the message my father told me to deliver to Stoick, and he sent Snout to do it instead.

"We're here" I spoke, only a shred of confidence in my voice.

Spitelout said nothing; he just wordlessly marched past me, and opened the door.

I slowly followed after him, but once I heard the tell tale noise of flesh punching flesh I hurried into the room.

Spitelout was holding my father by the scruff of his neck, his eyes full of fury, his face masked with a grim expression. My father had an even look, with a sad forlorn, and lost look, lingering in his cold gaze.

His lip was bleeding from where Spitelout had punched him.

"Do you even know what you did?" Spitelout hissed at my father.

"I'm sorry" my father evenly responded, his voice covered in sorrow.

"SORRY?" Spitelout roared, releasing my father and stepping back from him.

"Bad luck old friend but sorry won't cut it. You had told us you were sure. You had everyone convinced you were sure, and NOW, you tell me you were wrong!" Spitelout made a move, and was about to hit my father again, but was stopped by a large hand.

"We can't change the past with fist's Spitelout. We can't change the past at all" Stoick's voice was a welcomed calm, "but we need to make amends for it"

"I think it's a little late for that Stoick" my fathers eyes turned to me, and slowly, the guarded gaze's of Stoick and Spitelout followed.

"Tell them Astrid"

My father was expecting me to talk about the rider.

So I did.

* * *

><p>"One" the voice came from the back of a blood red armored Nightmare.<p>

"Three" I responded, the mutual greeting between the two of us expressed by our titles. Three was one of the only riders I was willing to work with. She could be brutal, but only when required, she could be caring, when it involved her family, and she could be human, when I couldn't.

It was a borderline between respect and envy that I felt for her. Respect that she could maintain a cool, calm and collected persona while dealing with the most rowdy of Viking regions, and Envy for her family and her still human existence. She wasn't corrupted.

"What are you doing here?" her tone brokered a definite answer.

I only responded by drawing the golden bow from my back.

"The King sent me"

It was simple to tell her dragon could feel the power of the bow. It recoiled in the air, its movements only discernable due to the blazing fires of the large town beneath us. Three had sent her dragon's, due to the Third family having a trust not between one dragon, but a swarm, as the Third family preferred that specific term.

Each rider selected in the Third family would always bond with a specific dragon, that would then be armored based on a color that matched the riders personality.

Red was the selected armor color simply because Three expressed equal amounts of blood lust and care and love, it just depends on who you are, and you get a certain side of her persona.

"He made a verdict" it was phrased like a question, but was spoken as a statement. Her violet eyes beneath her red helmet were locked onto the bow as I drew it up into a ready position.

"He did"

She was wary now; the full aura of the weapon must be washing over her now. It was my weapon now, and I couldn't feel that unearthly feeling that would cascade over my mind and shake my very bones, so I could only imagine how she felt.

"His orders?"

"Pull all your dragon's back first, then I will tell you"

Three gave a signal to her dragon, and then scratched down its spine. The beast in turn roared out, alerting the dragons currently fighting within the city below of the retreat order.

"His orders were?" Three asked again, eyes watching my arm draw the string of the bow back.

Victory shouts from the humans below could be heard, as they cheered on the dragons that were retreating to greater heights.

'_What do you need?' _came the voice of days long past.

'To carry out the kings orders' I responded to the voice, its silky sexless tone drifting through my mind.

'_And the orders are?' _the voice hinted at what had to be said, the requirements to use the power hidden in the golden body of the bow.

As soon as the string hit its peak, two things happened.

Firstly, a white translucent arrow appeared, its ghostly presence flickering in the moonlight.

Secondly, I voiced the command needed.

"Destroy" I spoke calmly, noticing as the arrow filled with a swirling red and gold matter, before seemingly solidifying, but still appearing to be a mist.

Then I let force and propulsion take over, watching as the ghostly arrow trailed down through the sky, leaving a misty white trail, almost like flecks of snow in its wake.

"I don't know what you expect that to do but-" Three began, but stopped herself halfway through taunting me.

The arrow had struck the city.

* * *

><p>"Oh Thor" Spitelout put his head in his hands as I finished retelling the last of the Riders words.<p>

My father didn't know all the details of my encounter with the rider, but was obviously in his own world as he thought over everything I said.

"Odin's beard you were right Stoick. Do you know what this means? We've doomed all of us, everyone one, even the damn dragons!"

"What are you talking about?" I asked Spitelout, confused by this what seemed to me, way out of proportion consequences.

Stoick turned to me. It seemed like I was finally going to be let into the loop.

"Gothi, the village elder, as well as Soothsayer, foretold a war. This was a war so great; it would rock the foundations of Valhalla itself. At the time, the three of us didn't believe her" Stoick gestured to the other two, who were avoiding his gaze, trying to consolidate their thoughts.

"She spoke of a great threat, a horrible threat. One, the First Family, or the first riders, however you wish to know them. They were connected with it. Gothi foretold they would try and win us over, to lure us into a false sense of security" Stoick was watching the fire my father had started as I was retelling what I knew of the rider.

"We didn't believe her. Why would we? The First Family stuck to themselves, never interacted, and just kept the balance, peacefully as well" Stoick sighed, gripping his ale mug tighter.

"Then they started trying to communicate with us, eventually talking to us, convincing us to lay down our arms. Gothi had predicted everything they tried, to get us into a peaceful, no aggressive state. When this happened, people started to panic, thinking that the war was just around the corner, ready to claim all of us"

His eyes grew hard, and I watched the man Stoick, become even more emotionless then a stone.

"The prophecy foretold that the First Family would be the end of us, that we would live in fear of them, and they would be our end, when the war started. It was your father that voiced his thoughts, on a possible solution" Stoick spoke solution so evenly, that I barely detected the underlining malice that the final word contained.

"We didn't want war" my father spoke now, sitting up straight, "so I took the most logical course of action"

I realized now what the solution my father had come up with.

"The ends always justify the means Astrid" my father spoke, slumping in his chair again.

"I do not agree with the choice you made, but it was a popular vote at the time, and as Chief, I had to agree with my people" Stoick muttered.

"I was responsible for tracking them back to their home" Spitelout took his turn, adding his sins to the collectors dish, "I was the reason we found them"

My father looked to my eyes now, and I took his words out of his mouth.

"And it was you, who had to commit the act?" I stated, but asked for his benefit.

He didn't speak. A slow nod was the answer I needed.

"We didn't see the child, only Stoick suggested that if the boy had lived, he would want revenge on us. I thought that this possible war would end with the extermination of the first family"

"As I was growing up, that's why the dragons were more brutal" I could see the perfectly connected dots between the events, and the cause behind it all.

"Gothi predicted a war, and in your fear of it, you could have caused it" I fumed at my father, anger boiling away.

I may not know the Rider, but he had his family murdered in front of him, just because they were accused of acts they had not even committed yet. I couldn't feel nothing for him.

"How can he even start a war?" Spitelout spoke up now, trying to see some positives to the prior generation's screw up.

"Only the Third Family has control over dragons, and even then, it's not enough to wage full scale war on the Wingless cities in the north and west"

We all thought on this.

And then I realized something, something to very important.

"We understand there is a hierarchy among dragons right, that there is some king?" I asked, getting slow nods from the others.

"In times of great conflict and civil unrest, that directly affects the representatives of balance, or the 12 riders, what is the King entitled to do?" I left the question hanging as my father and Spitelout seemed confused.

The kings rules were decreed by the dragon court, elder dragons that wished to maintain a relationship with humanity, for who knows what reasons. It was required to have basic knowledge of the laws in every dragon-controlled city.

"Oh dear Odin" Stoick swore, realizing the implications of what I was suggesting.

My father figure it out as well, and immediately began cursing.

"At times like that, the King may bi-pass the court, and declare rules and laws that can include, but are not limited to, full scale conflict, of any species"

Spitelout understood now.

"The king just has to get the first rider to look for Markus, and once he does, the rider is gonna cast a shit storm trying to kill him. If he succeeds, the king can declare war, due to the renegade rider. If he looses and we kill the rider, the King declares war, on the account of a dead rider. The rider is the key, and the poor sod probably doesn't even know it"

We nodded at Spitelout's explanation.

"Ah crap, we just drafted our own war" Spitelout realized, bringing out the only confirmed fear us as a four shared.

A loud nock startled me, as the others just turned their gazes to the door, of which a lean shield maiden came through.

"Chief Stoick, Snoutlout told me where to find you, sorry for the abruptness, but you need to come see this sir"

"What is it?" Stoick stood, moving to the door, upon looking to where the maiden was looking, which were the docks.

"Its survivors sir. Apparently, Tavernhorn has been destroyed"

Stoick stopped, his eyes turning down to the girl.

"Pardon me?"

"Tavernhorn sir, its been destroyed"

"By who?"

"They say it was the first rider sir"

* * *

><p>The gigantic red and golden inferno melted through the city, occasionally sparing a person or two. After all there needed to be tales told, and who best then the survivors.<p>

"What is that?" Three asked, referring to my bow, which was now holstered on my back.

I turned my gaze to her, and could easily acknowledge the fear in her eyes, as bright as the blast of gold that clashed and swirled with the red.

"A gift from the past. Of times long gone. A second weapon from the armory"

She flinched at the last part of that. The armory was feared among most riders. I had no problem with it, but the others disliked the inhuman and for some of the more corrupted riders, the un dragon like qualities the weapons held.

I guess you can't classify me as one or the other. I'm both now, and can accept the rarities and the odds in life, even if they are the most powerful and god like tools of destruction I would ever wield in a lifetime. A power hungry lord could never hope to attain or even dream of the level of power that the bow gave. A lesser man or dragon could go insane with something like this.

It's a good thing I'm not the lesser of both.

"I think we're done here" I rubbed Toothless's head, getting the dragon out of his hypnotic stare pinned on the melting buildings and expanding crater that was once…

"What was the name of this place?" I never was told the city I had just destroyed, killing thousands.

Three continued to watch me, her eyes dancing between fear and something else. Something I didn't know at the time.

"Tavernhorn" she spoke, softly returning my lazy gaze with hers.

"Its called Tavernhorn" she repeated watching the buildings and streets crackle in the magical maelstrom.

"Was," I replied, as Toothless began to turn around.

"It was called Tavernhorn"

Three watched me and my only friend disappear into the cloud's that dotted the horizon and the distance beyond that.

The survivors would take their remaining boats and leave, most likely to Berk, where they would explain what happened.

Three left. She couldn't stare at the black gaping hole that used to be one of her favorite seaports in her region.

* * *

><p>"Have the wounded moved to any medical homes that are not already occupied" Stoick ordered above the shouts, cries and calls of despair, pain and loss.<p>

It was a horrible scene for me to witness.

The rider had done this. The village watcher, a role given to a Viking or fisherman in this case, that was simply to keep an eye out for trouble. He had seen the black dragon arrive, and watched as the ghostly white thing struck the center of the city.

He made out a perfect description of what our rider looked like. Every detail.

"Why did this happen?" I asked my father, who was standing behind Stoick as an eternal bodyguard. The Hofferson family was the guardian family to the chief. Their existence was generally solely dedicated to the protection of the Chief. I had hoped that one day, when the next chief was chosen, I could fill that role of protector, and keep my family line proud. That was until I found out about the darker secret our family held. Even under my time, under my fathers name, this was the most horrible secret any member of the Hofferson family knew of, and it could easily escalate into something far worse.

This was just the start.

"What kind of dragon or weapon does this to people" my father mentioned, watching the burn victims and patients missing arms that disembarked the boats.

"Buckle up dad" I said, both with sarcastic enthusiasm and sourness at my disposition to whose side I was more on. The rider or my father. Both had committed a heinous atrocity now, so it was a very even playing field of hate in my opinion.

"Because I don't think this is the last of it"

I watched over the bay, over the heads of moving Viking's, shouting elders and wounded that swabbed the docks. The ships blocked out any vision I had of the dull ember that speckled the horizon. The remnants of their now destroyed village.

"This is just the beginning"

**AN: Hey everonye, third chapter done and done. I hope this gives you some information as to what happened that night. Its still not the full detailed event, but that will be explained in either the next chapter, or the one following that. Please review as well, I want as much feedback as possible on each of the chapters, so I know what I'm doing right and what I can keep you guys happy with. Btw I won't be telling the pairing for this story, as it fluctuates through out. Eventually tho, the final parring will be between Hiccup (One) and**

**-Freedom :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: ****_Hey everyone! I'm honestly sorry about not posting, but my exams are in two weeks time, so I really want to study for them, and hopefully not rush any of my chapters. I'm doing this as a sort of filler and tide over chapter, till I can get a serious one done for after the exams. I'm going to be stuck visiting my family in Australia and I'll be only able to write there, and hopefully upload if the heavens permit an internet connection. Enjoy this sort of filler-ish chapter! Have a good day/night! _**

**_-Freedom_**

* * *

><p>Melting walls of wood, some stone dripped like eerie ghost like liquids. The rolling wave of red and gold fire, brimstone and pure finality pushed through every street, every back road, and every nook and cranny rending any living inhabitants a cold final finish.<p>

I strode forward, as the world churned slowly around me. I could see a family in the door of a home. The big husband's face was contorted in agony, as a lash of the golden flame was on his back. I stood over the slowly moving wife, her charred son cradled in her hands.

Tears gently pelted the burnt skin of the body, as the woman had accepted her final moments, but not that of the small boy. The red wave was following the initial damaging golden one. The small daughter was scared, her mouth open in a scream as the red wave advanced. Her eyes were watching it, like a dark sun's haze, rolling through a cloud. It slowly approached, and I watched everything.

The wave slowly turned the father to dust, removing him from existence. I cringed as the wife was spared. The daughter and son disappeared as well. I looked up, as their home was reduced to nothing as well.

No breeze, or sound, or feeling of the world around me and the eternal rage, agony and pain both physical and mental that was palpable in the air, affected my cold gaze.

Spinning slowly, I observed each of the homes destroyed, with many of the survivors spared from the wave of red death reacting in similar ways as this nameless woman.

"Human's" I muttered, as if that justified their reactions.

Blackness warped the air, and suddenly it was a new image.

One that forced me into a frozen stature.

"Mother" I whispered, staring at the figure of my mother, who was holding onto a small body.

My body.

I couldn't hear what she was saying and I couldn't read what she was saying from her lips, but her emotions were clear from the gentle pitter patter of tears that cascaded onto my still corpse.

"MOM" I shouted, rushing forward, but found my self not closing the gap between us at all.

"MOM IT'S OKAY!" I shouted louder now, running faster, but to my utter horror, found myself being drawn away.

"MOM PLEASE! I'M-"

I was staring at my wardrobe from across the room.

"Alive" I whispered, reaching up my hand and brushing some sweat from my face and my forehead.

Green eyes suddenly looked into my own.

They were sad, and hurt. Surprisingly very hurt.

"But you're not" I spoke to my mother, moving my hand to the head of my best friend, rubbing his forehead.

"It was the wrong thing to do" I spoke, meeting my dragon's gaze, his eyes softening as he broke the gaze, letting out a sad croon.

It was rather a statement, but that was all the answer I needed. I was powerless to stop the sword that plunged into my mothers back, unable to save her or stop the death.

Just like Tavernhorn.

In the more confused moments of my adult life, I'd realized I had made a very serious mistake.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: You should play the song "Let's Kick it Up – Paul Gordon" for this scene.<strong>

* * *

><p>We were on the top of the mountain.<p>

Infinite future and horizon.

Definite being on our back and carrying us, each one of us respectively.

Toothless growled in excitement as we felt the wind reach us. The sun was going to be breaking over the opposite mountainside soon. We never missed a chance at this, especially when we had nothing important the King wanted us to do.

And like that, we pushed off, a feeling of weightlessness taking over one another. An angle down and we were soaring down the steep mountain with a strong heading for adventure and excitement.

"WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW!" I roared, as toothless roared as well, both of us basking in the super cold current that washed over our morning bodies.

Apart from a wake up call, it was one of the most exhilarating things, rushing down the side of a large snow capped mountain, at speeds that would kill anyone who misjudged or miscalculated.

Apart from resembling a black meteorite, we were always careful of the eventual drop from our daring drop. Pulling up at the edge of the forest, we transferred the force straight into the air, as we rocketed up to the cloud line.

I pulled my feet out of Toothless's harness, and allowed myself to slide down to his tail, and couched their, using all my strength to keep myself from falling.

The sun was just about to break the over the tallest peak of the opposing and looming white topped mountainside.

"NOW!" I shouted over the gale of the winds, and Toothless spun in the air, flicking his tail up into the clouds.

That's when I let go. That's always when I let go.

Shooting up into the sky I broke through the first one, feeling some light water run across my face, sneaking through the minute gaps in my armor.

And finally the sun hit, breaking like a wave against the rocky coasts of this island, right over the large elderly mountains. The misty rocks, as me and toothless called them, finally bowed to the ever-present light and heat that the sun always offered. It broke through the cloud, casting the yellow golden light all around me, as if I was in the sun itself. The light also brought heat, as it rolled over my cold skin, contrasting with the whipping ice wind I had just felt previously.

Just like that, I feel back to reality, dropping down through the clouds, as the light chased me every single bit of the way down. Toothless met me halfway, as we both fell to the earth in a spiral together, the wind picking up against my ears.

"KING OF THE WORLD!" I shouted over the gale, raising my arms up (technically down, as they were pointing to the earth below me) in triumph over the elements.

Toothless roared and fired a blast below us. I smiled as we stopped our spinning and I replaced my feet back into his holsters.

"Sweet" I smiled, as Toothless pulled up straight, the forest below us, and my blood roaring in my ears.

This calm serenity had kept these moments always sacred, something we always had to do. It was almost a tradition. My family would have loved this.

"Hey bud," I asked, eyes fixed on the direction which Berk lay.

A grumble met my response.

"Yeah, but I think we should go anyway. It's been awhile" I smiled sadly, watching the horizon.

Toothless rolled his eyes, but agreed at the same time.

"But first we should get breakfast"

A happy croon and a big gummy smile was my only response.

* * *

><p><em><strong>And with that, I hope you enjoyed the short read. I'll keep positing as consistently as possible after my exams, as well as listening to anything you guys have to say about story and plot or any characters. I've somewhat got everything planned out for this story, so I'll be open to most things, but anything important like a character death or a ground breaking fight  interaction, will have to be considered very carefully on my part, as it may throw all my evil plans into millions of tiny super evil pieces.**_

_**Anyway, enjoy yourselves with any other story on FanFiction. Remember to read and write responsibly.**_

_**-Freedom**_


End file.
